Road Safety

Coming Soon: New Pedestrian Crossover Locations

In 2020, 12 new pedestrian crossovers will be installed in the city.

Marked by signs and pavement markings, crossovers are a designated pedestrian crossing in the roadway, usually not at an insection.

What does a crossover look like?
A pedestrian crossover is defined by specific signs and pavement markings, and may also include flashing lights.

illustration of pedestrian crossover

What are the rules at a pedestrian crossover?
In January 2016, the Province of Ontario introduced new legislation that requires all drivers and cyclists to stop and yield all lanes of the road to pedestrians at a pedestrian crossover.

Drivers
If a pedestrian is present at a crossover, drivers and cyclists must come to a safe stop until the pedestrian has cleared the entire roadway.

Pedestrians
At a crossover, pedestrians should make eye contact with drivers to ensure they are seen before they cross the road. Cyclists using the crossover should dismount and walk their bike across the road.

Drivers and cyclists who violate this law and do not wait for pedestrian to clear the entire roadway at pedestrian crossovers could be fined up to $1000 and four demerit points.

Learn more about Pedestrian Crossovers here

Road Safety Lawn Signs

Residents are encouraged to post a ‘Please Slow Down’ lawn sign produced by the City to encourage safe driving habits and lower vehicle operating speeds on neighbourhood streets. These signs are available free of cost to residents who are interested. Yellow and Black Please Slow Down sign

How to obtain a lawn sign

To obtain a Please Slow Down lawn sign, please:

Fill out the online request form
Sign delivery will be conducted weekly to the address provided on the form.

Guidelines for placing the sign on your lawn

Permitted Sign Placement

When placing the signs, residents must ensure that they do not create any sightline obstruction and do not create a hazard for users of the road. The signs must:

be set-back a minimum of 0.6 meters (2 feet) from curb or edge of the roadway;
not obstruct the travelled portion of the roadway, median, traffic island, sidewalk, bicycle path, or multi-use trail;
be inserted into the ground using the wire frame only;
be placed where it will not obstruct sight lines for pedestrians, cyclists or drivers; and,
be placed as supplied and without further illumination or the use of reflective tape.

Lawn signs that are unsafe or require relocation for any reason may be removed or relocated to a more suitable location at any time by the property owner or city staff.

Over time, lawn signs can degrade, dislodge or otherwise fall into a state of disrepair. Please ensure your lawn sign is safely maintained. Please replace your lawn sign if:

the wire frame becomes damaged, bent, dislodged from the ground, or otherwise unsafe
the plastic covering is damaged or removed
the sign has other issues which may raise safety concerns, or may prevent the sign from staying anchored into the ground.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is more than just using cell phones for calls or texting. It can include any activity that distracts the driver from safely operating their vehicle such as:

reading
watching videos and using other electronic devices
eating and/or drinking
smoking
pets or animals
children or passengers
personal grooming

Distracted driving has become a growing concern with the advancement of technology. It recently beat Drinking and Driving as the number one cause of motor vehicle collisions.

Penalties for distracted driving

Did you know that with the passing of Ontario's Bill 31 - Making Ontario's Roads Safer Act the penalties associated with distracted driving have increased?

Fines are $300 to $1000
You will lose three demerit points if you are convicted of a distracted driving offense
Young and novice drivers convicted of any Graduated Licensing System violation are subject to:

Minimum 30 day licence suspension for a first offence
90 day licence suspension for a second conviction
Third and subsequent instances can lead to the cancellation of their driver's licence and removal from the Graduated Licensing System